4 UNO Faculty Earn Nebraska EPSCoR FIRST Awards

A group of rising research stars at the University of Nebraska at Omaha (UNO) just secured a prestigious award that puts their early-stage projects on the fast track to national recognition.

➡️ What’s new: Four UNO faculty members have been named recipients of Nebraska's Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) 2024 FIRST Awards, a competitive program that supports early-career researchers across the state. Each award includes seed funding to accelerate research and strengthen future proposals for major federal grants.

💡 Why it matters:

• Supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF), Nebraska EPSCoR’s FIRST Awards aim to help early-career researchers in Nebraska’s higher education institutions develop nationally competitive research agendas.

• Many past recipients have gone on to secure prestigious NSF CAREER Awards or other major federal research grants.

• Four of the six 2024 recipients are UNO faculty.

🔎 Zoom in: UNO’s 2024 FIRST Award recipients represent four distinct academic disciplines, each tackling urgent challenges:

• Madhur Mangalam, Ph.D., Department of Biomechanics | Mangalam’s research explores how long-latency postural reflexes (LLRs) are affected by balance training in older adults using wobble boards. His work applies advanced data modeling to improve fall prevention strategies and support safer aging. (Project: Investigating the impact of wobble board exercises on long-latency postural reflexes in older adults)

• Yury Salkovskiy, Ph.D., Department of Biomechanics | Salkovskiy is developing a novel, scalable electrospinning technique to produce elastic and durable biopolymer textiles, offering potential breakthroughs in medical devices, wound care, and wearable protection. (Project: High-Speed Manufacturing of Biopolymer Textiles Made of Intertwined Nanofibers)

• Joe (Xinqiu) Yao, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry | Yao is using high-performance molecular dynamics simulations to examine how cells transmit signals at the molecular level. His findings could shape future advances in precision medicine and drug development. (Project: Elucidating the Atomistic Mechanism of GPCR-Mediated Arrestin Activation)

• Xiaoqian (Tiffany) Zhang, Ph.D., Department of Computer Science | Zhang is designing intelligent, congestion-aware network infrastructure for next-generation storage systems. Her research enhances the speed and efficiency of data centers powering everything from cloud computing to enterprise tech. (Project: Auto-zoning Configuration and Adjustment for Disaggregated Storage Systems)

🎤 What they’re saying:

• Phil He, Ph.D., Senior Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs: “Our faculty continue to lead with purpose, advancing research that delivers real-world impact. These projects not only align with UNO’s mission to challenges that affect communities here in Nebraska and across the country. We thank these researchers for their commitment to innovation, and for turning ideas into action that benefits society at large.”

• Sara Myers, Ph.D., Associate Vice Chancellor for Research and Creative Activity: “FIRST Awards do more than fund individual projects. They ignite ripple effects across our entire research ecosystem. These early investments help faculty build momentum, attract competitive national funding, and raise UNO’s profile as a hub for discovery that matters. We’re incredibly proud of this year’s recipients and excited to see how their work shapes the future of science, technology, and innovation.”

🌎 The big picture: The awards reflect UNO’s strategic commitment to pragmatic research, hands-on student learning, and community-engaged innovation. Each project integrates student mentorship and interdisciplinary collaboration, aligning with the university’s mission to transform lives through research that matters.

🧑‍💻 Read more: Kwangsung Oh, Ph.D., an assistant professor in the Department of Computer Science, is UNO’s most recent NSF CAREER award recipient.